Fall 2021

UNIV110: Assignment Sheet for Persuasive Speech – 15%

Due Date: Thursday 13th January 2022 at 6pm

Length: 3-4 minutes

Grading: see accompanying rubric

Background:
One of the goals of the UNIV110: University, Community and Citizenship course is
to identify various social issues within our community and recognize a variety of
possible actions citizens can take. We also want students to articulate well-reasoned
opinions and use reliable sources. For this assignment you will build upon your
informative speech in which you have identified a current social issue. In this speech,
you will suggest possible solutions for this issue.

Task:
Give a three-to-four-minute speech persuading the audience on why the solutions you
propose can impact the social issue you described in your informative speech. Provide
your audience with a clear understanding of how and why the solutions can impact the
social issue. Educate your audience on this issue through formal evidence of facts;
i.e., current statistics or facts based on formal research from credible sources (journal
articles from the AUK library databases).

Sources:
You will need at least three individual sources as “evidence” to support your claims.
These sources must be peer-reviewed journal articles from the AUK library databases.
You may use the same articles as your Informative Speech if they include solutions.

Pro tip: Schedule an appointment with an AUK Librarian to get expert advice and
identify the three sources. Extra credit will be given to those who schedule an
appointment. You will get 2% extra credit which is equivalent to 0.3 points extra out
of 15.

Speech Structure:
 Introduction:
o Make sure to grab the audience’s attention, briefly explain the social
issue (no need to go into detail, since you did that in the first speech),
and preview the speech. 

 Body:
o Provide solid evidence (using your sources) of 2-3 possible solutions to
the social issue and everyday actions citizens/residents can take to
lessen the consequences and/or effects of the issue. Explain why you
think these solutions are the best way to resolve the social issue.

 Conclusion:
o Signal the end of the speech, remind the audience of the main ideas
you talked about, and then make a final comment that makes your
audience remember your speech (be careful not to start a new topic).
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 Fall 2021

Submission:
You will be submitting two items for this speech. The first item to be submitted is
your complete script with your 3 sources cited. This document will be used to ensure
that you have used 3 credible sources and to check for similarity. If there are issues
with similarity to original sources, this will result in a failing grade. You can
check the similarity of your script prior to filming your speech and have opportunities
to make changes and re-upload the script.

As we discussed for the Personal Introductory Speech, when filming the speech, it’s
recommended to use bullet points as your notes and not to read off your script. The
purpose of submitting the script ahead of time is to ensure that the information is
paraphrased.

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 Informative Speech Rubric for UNIV110
Needs Remediation
(0.75)
DELIVERY
Could not clearly understand
the words, talked too quickly
or too slowly, tone of voice
was inappropriate for the
Speaking Quality and setting. No facial
Body Language expressions or many
distracting gestures.
Grammar is unacceptable for
this level.
Less than 1 minute or over 4
Adhered to Time Limit minutes
CONTENT
No evidence of preparation
or practice. “Winging it.”
Preparation Assignment directions were
not followed and/or you had
trouble with assignments
objectives
Topic needs development;
Stronger supporting detail
needed; No credible sources
used; Language usage does
Content not spark interested; Barely
addressed the prompt or
assignment objectives not
fully met
No overall organizational
pattern evident. Thoughts
Organization of seemed random and
Information disconnected at times
leaving audience confused.
Fall 2021
Almost Competent
(1.5)
Spoke clearly and with
appropriate speed and tone of
voice with some hesitation and
fillers. Some eye contact. No
facial expressions or some
distracting gestures. Grammar
does not meet expectations for
this level.
More than 1 minute but less than
2 minutes
Little preparation and practice
evident; limited understanding of
directions and assignment
objectives
Solutions to social issue(s) not
clearly defined or explained;
Limited or weak evidence or
examples provided (fewer than 2
credible sources); limited
connection of the solution to the
social issue was presented;
information for possible solutions
was somewhat relevant to
audience.
Organization and topic focus
needs work OR did not have clear
introduction, body, or closing.
Audience had trouble following
information or all parts of the
assignment were not addressed
Competent
(2.25)
Nice voice quality and speed,
made connections with the
audience, and spoke very
clearly. Made eye contact and
showed expressions while
speaking. Grammar is
appropriate for this level.
More than 2 minutes, but less
than 3 minutes
Preparation and practice were
evident; All parts of the
assignment were addressed;
Directions were followed and
all parts of the assignment
were clearly covered.
Solutions to social issue were
clearly defined and explained;
Evidence was provided from 2-
3 credible sources in order to
inform audience on how/why
the solutions can impact the
social issue; Possible solutions
were relevant to audience.
Clear organizational pattern.
Good introduction, body and
closing; audience had no
trouble following information
provided to address all
components of the assignment
Proficient
(3)
Excellent voice quality, tone, and
speed. Made excellent connections
with audience. Excellent, even eye
contact throughout. Expressions
were natural and appropriate to the
material. Grammar is above
average for this level.
3-4 minutes
Preparation and practice were
clearly evident; All parts of the
assignment were addressed with
insightful supporting details.
Directions were followed; going
above and beyond in preparation
for presentation
Solutions to social issue were
clearly defined and explained in
detail; Strong evidence from 3
credible sources was provided
giving audience solid reasoning as
to how/why the solutions can
impact the social issue; Fulfilled the
assignment creatively with
reflection and critical thinking.
The presentation had a strong
beginning, middle, and end with
appropriate transitional words.
Signposts, hook, and conclusions
were used engaging for audience
throughout.